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January 9, 2010
Four weeks ago I began the trend of updating the draft board for the Browns, and my how things have changed since the beginning of week 15 in the NFL season. Finishing the season on a roll with a four-game winning streak, Cleveland avoided the top of the draft slot yet again this year. It looks like the Browns will be drafting seventh this coming April and with the arrival of new team president Mike Holmgren, it will be interesting to see what direction the team will take with said selection.
As has been written many times, the Browns have 10 picks (Update: 11 picks) in the upcoming draft including two in the third round and three in the fifth round. This will be a huge opportunity for the new head man in charge to make a statement with some bold selections that actually contribute on the team next season. The lack of production from Cleveland’s second-rounders in 2009 gives me a sense of pessimism as always, but with 10 picks it will be fairly difficult not to get a few solid starters early on in the proceedings.
Last time when I wrote about the draft where the Browns projected to be within the top three picks, the main question was whether or not the team would go in the direction of a brand new quarterback. This time, after looking more thoroughly at the draft board and some of the mock draft Web sites, the question is now where on the defensive side of the ball is most important? Does Cleveland need another big lineman to make it one of the best in the business or should they find a tackle-monster to work alongside a healthy D’Qwell Jackson? Does a corner back alongside Eric Wright mean more than an play making safety in the image of Ed Reed? There are many ways the team can go but it is definitely looking like defense will be that first pick.
Once again, I am going to trim down the selection board to several picks and analyze them to see who you might like the best for the Browns in this position. Certainly it looks like between St. Louis, Washington, Kansas City and Seattle at the top, many teams will now be looking for a new franchise quarterback. That could possibly leave some of the key defensive stars of the draft to fall all the way into Cleveland’s lap. Just for the reason, I am going to include all of the best defensive prospects starting from the top of the draft board.
When looking at what players will be taken in the first eight or so selections three months from now, it is clear as day that Eric Berry from Tennessee and Ndamukong Suh from Nebraska will hear their names called. When the Browns were looking forward to a top three selection, it was definitely a possibility that the team would end up with either one of these two players. With their hot play at the end of the season however, it remains unlikely although still plausible that one of those two immediate impact players could be a member of the Cleveland Browns organization.
There are then a trio of Florida players that excelled on the field this season and look to be high first round draft picks. Junior corner back Joe Haden leads the bunch and is sure to be the first player at his position selected this coming April. DE Carlos Dunlap and LB Brandon Spikes, who both faced disciplinary issues durin their time in school, are big hitters that figure to be explosive play makers in college. The scenario here has been seen all over the NFL recently with players entering the league with various issues but working harder to improve their play at the next level.
Also on the list are safeties Taylor Mays from USC and Earl Thomas from Texas, along with defensive lineman Gerald McCoy and Derrick Morgan and finally, LB Rolando McClain. Mays was supposed to be in the upper class with Berry before a mediocre senior season while the junior Thomas recently declared for the draft the other day. McCoy was the key in the middle for the Oklahoma defense ever since the loss of current Chicago Bear Tommie Harris while Morgan has made quite the impression on his local newspaper. Finally, McClain is one of the two players listed below who has yet to declare for the draft and still could possibly return to the defending national champions for his senior season.
So there is my list of 10 defensive players among which the Browns will likely make their first selection in the upcoming NFL Draft. In the second round or beyond, the team will probably look to strengthen all of these defensive problems along with more offensive skill players and help for the right side of the line. There are plenty of intriguing prospects during these rounds but the draft update today focuses simply on the defensive players likely to be around with the seventh pick in this year’s process.
Here once again are the stats for those 10 players this season, their current schools and where they are currently slotted in ESPN’s Scouts Inc. Big Board (players who have yet to declare for the draft have an asterisk next to their name):
1. S Eric Berry, Tennessee, 83 tackles and two INT’s
2. DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska, 82 tackles, 12 sacks and one INT
3. DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma, 32 tackles and six sacks
4. CB Joe Haden, Florida, 57 tackles, three sacks and four INT’s
5. DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech, 52 tackles and 12 sacks
7. *LB Rolando McClain*, Alabama, 101 tackles, four sacks and three INT’s
12. S Earl Thomas, Texas, 63 tackles and eight INT’s
18. S Taylor Mays, Southern Cal, 88 tackles and one INT
20. LB Brandon Spikes, Florida, 52 tackles, three sacks and two INT’s
21. *DE Carlos Dunlap*, Florida, 34 tackles and nine sacks
What all do you say out there? Do you think we will be able to grab Berry or Suh while sitting at the 7th spot in the draft? Who is your favorite selection after the big two defensive players? Will it be more important to pick simply the best player available or is there a glaring need that needs to be filled first? Share your thoughts below.
[Thanks to reader Jason for updating the number of picks in the draft for me. There are actually 11 picks, as he points out below, including a conditional sixth round draft pick from the Carolina Panthers.]
(The photo of Eric Berry above is via Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images.)
40 Comments
My wishlist:
1) Eric Berry
2) Rolando McClain
3) Joe Haden
4) CJ Spiller (even with Harrison’s emergence, Spiller is special)
I like Haden and McClain, personally. Our secondary is in awful shape, so Haden would make a lot of sense. Keeping Mangini on means we’ll likely continue the 3-4, so outstanding linebacker play is a must, and McClain is an outstanding ‘backer. I like where the Browns are sitting at #7: no matter what happens before we pick, we’re almost guaranteed to get an impact player (for a much smaller cap hit than when we were staring the #2 or #3 pick in the face).
The Browns have four real needs. Don’t be surprised if they drop down with trades and pick a right tackle. Mangini likes a strong line. The other three needs in no particular order are safety/cornerback, wide receiver, and/or outside linebacker. Also, look for them to pick up an experienced quarterback in the off season to work with Brady. They will try to shop Derek Anderson or renegotiate his contract. The will offer a trade for Cribbs as a first and second round pick. Ultimately, they will have keep him and give him slightly more money than they offer. The challenge Cribbs has is that he signed a contract that goes three more years. The interesting thing will be to see what happens with Stallworth. One of the main reasons Mangini started winning at the end was that he beefed up the second stringers at the expense of the first stringers. When you have 12 people injured at the end and a lot of teams have people injured you need a strong second team player to come in. He had those. Ultimately this team is going to end up with a lot of good players in the New England Patriots mode. Mangini would like to have proven good players vs. draft picks. Its a smart strategy and we will see if Holmgren goes down this route. Mangini is making good solid choices for the long run and not trying to hit a home run with one player. I can’t wait for the off season. Go Browns!
Berry and Suh will not be available to the Browns but will still have excellent secondary picks available at #7.
1. Taylor Mays USC Safety
2. Joe Haden Gators CB
3. Derrick Morgan Georgia Tech DE
4. Brian Bulaga Iowa OT
This is my wish list for the 1st round.
NOTE: If the Browns trade as they did last year, I’m ok with that too. Looking forward to a great draft.
Taylor Mays is a Taylor Made bust…
Its shocking to me that people still want Taylor Mays as a top 10 pick…these people must not have watched USC this season
The Browns actually have 11 picks. They have their original seven, plus a third rounder from the jets, a fifth rounder from both the jets and buccaneers, and the conditional draft pick they got from Carolina through the Leonard Lewis trade. That makes 11.
Pleeeaaase not Taylor Mays…if we can’t get Berry or one of the big DTs in Suh or McCoy, Haden would be a stud corner who we could leave on an island and forget about…
I think its either Berry (top choice) or Haden if Berry is off the board. Wright/Haden would be a good young CB group for the browns. Then in round 2, I would look at RT or S, unless Spikes takes a fall like some people project. In the 3rd round, I would take either S or RT (whichever we didnt get in round 2) then I would look at Dan Lefevour. I think this guy could be special and if we end up getting a vet QB he can act as a mentor.
Berry or Haden. Haden can be the next revis. Please dont trade down, we need a difference maker in the secondary(cover corner or S) besides Wright. RT can be picked up in 3rd round after we pick up a S or DB. Get a Vet to mentor Quinn and a Vet for the young WR. Find good QB coach and a good WR coach. Get Robiskie involved, we might be surprised with his hands and routes. Get Berry!!
I think they’ll look at the kid from Oklahoma State to play RT. Take Berry if he’s there, if not McClain assuming he comes out. IN a perfect world I’d like to see Jahvid Best in the 2nd.
You gotta go best available. I have trouble believing we’ll take a RT in the 1st round because then you’ve got big money locked up in 4 of the 5 line spots and you’ve gotta think that could throw other positions out of whack (this assumes a cap).
I’d love to see Berry, but think he’ll be gone. You’ve gotta really consider Haden if he’s still sitting there. If we could get someone opposite Wright who can cover a dude we’re starting to look at a team with a half-decent secondary.
If the team turns into a Rush first, Brady managing type team – the defense needs a huge playmaker to get us possessions.
Eric Berry.
With the onset of the Holmgren era, and the distinct possibility of going to a 4-3 defense (I think agreeing to the change is what kept Mangini’s job), the draft will have to go in that direction. Corey Williams, Shaun Rogers, A. Rubin, and maybe Mosely at tackle, Robaire Smith, Kenyon Coleman, Kameron Wimbley, David Vikune (we can pray) at end. We will need linebackers, big time. No way D’Qwell Jackson can hold down the middle, so McClain should be the choice if he comes out and Bowens can back him. If Spikes falls to 2nd round, he’s one outside LB. Between Trusnick and Alex Hall and possible free agents, we’ll have to shore up the outside, and we can trade D’Qwell to hopefully get an outside player if necessary. 3rd round has to be DB, and we have to count on pressure from the line and LB’s making our defensive backfield look better than they are.
1. McClain
2. Haden
3. Dez Bryant
4. Okung
4. Dunlap.
Berry & Suh will be gone, Haden would be the next best choice.
I like S-dub’s idea. We should draft Okung AND Dunlap as our fourth option.
Yes, Denny. It’s the new loop hole that Mangini secretly found while at the buffet with Holmgreen….
Somebody said McCoy. McCoy is a 2nd day guy. Colt Brennan type.
“Colt Brennan type” – is that because his name is also Colt :/ #Nameotyping
@Mike Z.
Where do you get the idea that the Browns are going to a 4-3? Rob Ryan was the bright spot in the season (aside from Cribbs and the late recent rushing attack) and he is a 3-4 man. Why in the world would Holmgren make them switch to the 4-3?
And I have a much higher opinion than you about D Jackson. I think you’re a bit off if you think the Browns are going to shop him.
I was gonna ask the same thing as Rick. No way they change the D. I think anyone could look at the body of work, and the lack of playmakers and being decently impressed and see that if there was some help this could be a good D. Jackson is a stud MLB. I think S/CB is our top 2 combo, unless we get Berry and theres no CB worth taking.
Holmgren is a 4-3 guy, and the ‘D’ played like you-know-what until late in the season. Look at their rankings in scoring against, yards against, rushing yards against, etc. And although D’quell makes a lot of tackles, none of them are for a loss, in fact none are less than 2-3 yards downfield from the line of scrimmage. No reason to believe they are going to keep Ryan, the original reports had the staff staying but those have been refuted.
Reyan ran the 4-3 in Oakland.D.Jackson made all his tackles 5yds downfield and was pushed around by the guards.,but he could be moved to weakside LB.Where do you think Roth will play?End or OLB
Did you watch Holmgren’s presser? He was quite forthcoming that he was fine with coaches doing their job. I would be stunned if Ryan was not retained. I would have bet on Ryan keeping his job even if Mangini was let go. Jackson didn’t make a lot of tackles in the backfield in Crennel’s tenure, but name me a Brown that did? Vanilla schemes and no inside blitzes. Jackson was 3x better this year before his injury.
Not to mention that the Browns changed looks quite a bit in-game this year, especially the last 1/4 of the season. They wen to a 1-5-5 even.
Earl Thomas is the anti-Mays. Not necessarily big and physical, but with a nose for the ball and a knack for big plays.
I’d be okay with jettisoning a LB and drafting McClain. We have lots of average LB’s and no impact guys.
The Browns linebacker corp. confuses me. Some games they looked dominant and others they got dominated. What gives? With all of the injuries we saw a lot of different guys out there. It seems like a lot of the guys matured or played well at times. So out of these LB’s who should stay?
1) Kamerion Wimbley
2) David Veikune
3) Jason Trusnik
4) Matt Roth
5) Kaluka Maiava
6) D’Qwell Jackson
7) Alex Hall
8) David Bowens
9) Marcus Benard
10) Eric Barton
@bridgecrosser…they were probably referring to Gerald McCoy
Bernie,
I think Roth may have to play end, because I’m not so sure Robaire Smith has another year in him, and Coleman might not have the edge speed. If we could use him at OLB, I think the 4-3 would jam the run much better than we saw the past several years. Glad to see someone else saw the same ineffective ILB play that I saw (with slight improvement when Bowens got moved there late in the year.)
Between our 10 LB’ers we should be able to coach up 4 to start. Not as critical as our need at safety and CB. Even RT looks better with Womack over there. However, we still need young help on the right side. Trading up for our low 3rd rd to get Berry would be worth it (I understand he will play CB in NFL) A quality TE will help both receiving and running game.
In summary: We finally have some depth and now need quality. Safety, CB, TE, OT/OG with top 4 picks. Perhaps trading up to improve position, e.g. Package a combination our (2) #3, (3) #5 plus our #4 for another low 1st and 2ed rd. That would provide (4) high quality picks for our 4 greatest needs.
We arent switching to a 43 deal with it. Ryan and Mangini are both 34 guys. Holmgren wouldnt change the D. Itd be the O that was garbage, and that he knows. Hes no idiot to try to force a D style of football when hes an o guy.
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I couldn’t agree defense is definitely the way to go especially in the draft. Use free agency to address areas on offense. I’d love to see Eric Berry drafted the Browns haven’t had a legitimate safety in forever. I wouldn’t mind free agent CB Dunta Robinson from Houston too as long as I’m making wishes.
There was a bunch of talk on this thread about the 3-4 vs 4-3 “battle” between Mangini/Holmgren. Was this even anything that was talked about to the press? Holmgren is an offensive guy, primarily the quarterback position. Although he may be more comfortable with the 4-3, I think he has the savvy to trust two defensive minded guys (Mangini and Ryan). He would not keep both of them and then expect them to switch schemes.
Give me Haden! Just for more discussion, would it be worth taking a shot on Tebow if he’s available in the third round? His tears may freeze in Cleveland, but Phil Rivers never had the most fundamental release in the world either.
Round 1. Mclain MLB Bama
Round 2. Spikes OLB Gators
Round 3a. Coleman S Bucks
Round 3b. Lefevour QB Central Mich
Rounds 4-7. Depth
i have to agree with TBrown.
i am a big fan of Haden who i think we should take at #7. McClain is a MLB and a monster with speed. But, MLB’s (Laurenitis and Malualuga) went 2nd round last year so maybe we can get lucky and land them there.
DEZ BRYANT, if not Joe Haden. Hello!!! Did we forget we don’t have a number 1 receiver!!?? I would like to see us go after Boldwin from Arizona, if not, then Bryant. Either way, we need a WR–badly. it is our worst position, even worse than Right Tackle.
I hear you Matt, loud and clear. Guys, we can work with our defense, and this draft is extremely DEEP in defense.HOWEVER, we have NO ONE who can catch the ball. Dez Bryant, that’s the pick at #7 overall. How can the Browns run a West coast offense without receivers?
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